Letters to the Editor Thursday

It is true that most taxpayers understand that we need to pay taxes for the government to function. However, adding tax upon tax upon tax is not what most people see as the way to go.

Supporters of these optional taxes will point out they were voted in by the public. But, as Mr. Miller pointed out, these optional sales taxes go before the voter in mostly unimportant elections when turnout is expected to be light.

One point missed by Mr. Miller is the fact that the powers that be will get all the civic groups behind this and flood the media about how beneficial these taxes are for us.

I firmly believe the voters would pass this easily if one of the other taxes were removed, or maybe two. To keep incrementing upward is too much a burden on the taxpayer, particularly the poor and the elderly and unemployed.

This tax will raise the tax on food to 4 percent, which is a hardship on some.

Politicians will argue that the tourists will pay most of it. Some of that is true, but the taxpayer who lives here will pay the increase every day. The first LOST is with us 32 years later, and one has to ask why?

For my final point I would like to ask, “Where is the TEA Party?”

I understood the tea in TEA Party stood for “Taxed Enough Already.”

If that is indeed their cause, then they should jump right in the middle of this tax battle and lead.

RICHARD MESAROS

Savannah

Savannah lucky to have a ‘go-getter’ mayor

As president of the Victorian Neighborhood Association, one of my main goals is to improve the appearance of the properties within the neighborhood in order to maintain the value and quality of life within the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, a number of our neighbors do not share this goal and therefore allow their properties to become eyesores.

I requested the assistance of several departments in the City of Savannah to rectify the situation and copied Mayor Edna Jackson in the email I sent. Low and behold, I received a personal phone call from the very busy mayor, who discussed the problem with me at length and promised to take appropriate actions to help the members of the Victorian Neighborhood.

Needless to say, I was very impressed.

Savannah is a fairly large and important city in the South. I don’t think many mayors would have taken the time to personally contact a constituent regarding such a relatively minor problem. I have also heard from several of my friends regarding the positive actions taken by Mayor Jackson on other issues.

We should all be very appreciative to have such a personable “go-getter” as Mayor Jackson at the helm of the City of Savannah. The voters definitely made the right choice in November!

MIKE HORNER

Savannah

Calvary Baptist shares good news about pastor

In the past few years, there have been news stories in your publication regarding our church and the state of some of our affairs. While I realize that bad news may spark more interest or curiosity than good news, I would like to share some recent very good news about our church.

On May 13, Calvary Baptist Temple called a new pastor to be our shepherd, to lead us into greener pastures. We are excited about his leadership and the great things God has in store for us in the coming days.

Our new pastor is Rev. Kenny Grant, and we welcome him and his family to our church family.

HARRIETT BLISSETT

Savannah

The United States of Scandinavia, anyone?

Regarding your June 5 article, “Time to Take a Cue from Sweden,” ever since President Eisenhower, governments in the United States have held up the “Swedish model” as the “horror of socialism.”

But steadfastly, Sweden has proven over the past 70 years superiority in fiscal and economical restraint.

Juleyka Latigua-Williams praises the Swedish results and holds them up as an example for fiscal conservatives. However, the big differences are not shown in this lavish praise.

In contrast to the U.S., Sweden has a huge middle class and a very small class of wealthy people. Poverty is not even on the Richter scale.

Sweden has no deficit, a booming economy and low unemployment. Their CEOs make nowhere near the $9 million average of American CEOs.

I was a CEO in Sweden for more than 20 years. The taxes are high (there is no property tax), but the benefits of being a Swedish citizen are great. The roads are wonderful, the countryside is clean, the rivers flow pure, the police are polite, educated and efficient, and the military is strong and they produce most of their own — airplanes included.

The citizens have a guaranteed, five weeks paid vacation, strong unions, free education through the university and beyond (for those who keep their grades up), and they have had social security and universal health care for over a half a century.

Wages of U.S. CEOs are disgustingly high and minimum wage is disgustingly low. High taxes on huge salaries will discourage companies from paying such outlandish wages, but it will not “punish the job creators.”

Entrepreneurs will seek success and the top jobs anyway. Mitt Romney’s five sons would do better to make it on their own without their father’s $100 million trust fund, which Mitt was able to transfer to them with no gift tax.